April checks into chemo on Tuesday’s Chasing Lifesummer finale (ABC Family, 9/8c), but just because she’s been preparing for this moment all season, that doesn’t mean she’s prepared. “You’ll see her fall apart physically, emotionally and even psychologically,” star Italia Ricci warns TVLine.”

“She thinks she knows what to expect, and she thinks she’s surrounded herself with the people and the knowledge she needs to get through this — but she is wrong,” Ricci adds. “She starts to realize that she’s a little bit less tough than she thought. It’s a real upper, this finale.”

Below, Ricci previews what else the finale has in store for April, including a “bittersweet” reunion with Dominic and a “life or death” cliffhanger. Boom.

TVLINE | I’m glad Dominic finally knows April is sick. Will they get to discuss that in the finale?
Yes, and it’s bittersweet. He wants to be there for her, but as she explains everything to him, he realizes how long she’s been keeping this a secret. A lot has been going on without him knowing, so he has to deal with that. And April also realizes she made a mistake by making him, essentially, one of the last people to find out.

TVLINE | And then there’s Leo. Should we expect this love triangle to come to a head?Yes and no. It’s sort of beyond April’s control what happens in the finale. The triangle gets viciously torn.

TVLINE | How do you feel about the weirdness between April’s mom and uncle?[Laughs] If by “the weirdness,” you mean that big ol’ smooch, I was really weirded out when I first read it. I was like, “No! Come on, guys!” But they talk about it in the finale, and hearing that conversation makes it feel a little better. George is going to be a big part of the family in the second half of the season.

TVLINE | I understand we also might be seeing some familiar faces?
Oh, yes. We might see dad, we might see Carrot Dude and we might see Jackson.

TVLINE | And this being a finale, can we expect a major cliffhanger?Absolutely. It’s life or death.

What do you hope to see on tonight’s Chasing Life finale? Drop a comment with your thoughts below, then check back immediately after the episode for our answer-filled Q&A with executive producer Patrick Sean Smith.